“Well, with all honesty, our daughter wasn’t planned. I mean, sure, we wanted to have kids but my daughter arrived in this world a bit too early. From the beginning, my ex was already hesitant to become a parent. But I encouraged her to continue and promised to take good care of them.
“And for a while, everything was fine. My ex was actually happy when we found out we were going to have a baby girl. And she enjoyed being a full-time mom. She spoiled our daughter.
“As for me, I kept my promise and worked really hard to provide for my family. Before Mr. Nam, I worked three jobs, just to make sure that we have a roof above our heads, food on the table and most importantly, the needs of my daughter were provided for.
“But because I was working three jobs, I was unable to spend more time with my family. I was too focused on providing for them, I forgot that I have a partner and a daughter at home. At the same time, because of that, I failed to notice that my partner was unhappy with being a full-time mom.
“Until one day, everything exploded.
“One day, I came home early because one of my jobs was closed. When I got back to the apartment, no one was there. Except for my infant daughter, who was sleeping peacefully in her crib. When I checked the cabinets, I noticed that all of my ex’s stuff was gone. And she only left me a letter to explain what was happening.
“In that letter, she expressed how unhappy she was. How unsatisfied she was with the life that she had with me and our daughter. She said that although she loves our daughter, she still wants to pursue her dreams in the arts and that she wants to do more, to be more than just a stay-at-home mom.
“She also asked that I mustn’t look for her and to apologize to our daughter on her behalf. And that if the right time comes, she will return and introduce herself, as well as explain everything properly to our daughter.
“My whole world crumbled after reading that letter. And since that day, I always made sure that my daughter will always sleep beside me. She became the only reason for me to live.
“I thought I could carry on properly. Yes, I was heartbroken but I thought that what happened will make me stronger. But a month later, I saw my ex, holding hands with her ex-boyfriend from high school.
“I swear, I just wanted to turn around and walk away. Walk away and eradicate her from my daughter’s life and mine. But I couldn’t help myself.
“Right then and there, I confronted them. I accused her of being unworthy to be the mother of my child. I also told the guy that the woman he was dating was a selfish and irresponsible woman who ran away from her obligations. But I was slapped with another harsh truth.
“She said that I wasn’t the real father of my child. That it was the child of her old high school boyfriend. That she dated me whilst still in a relationship with him. And when she told him that she was pregnant, he left her. She also said that she claimed that the child was mine because she knew I was head-over-heels in love with her. And now that she was able to remove the baby from her life, she was free to return to her old life and be with the man that she truly loves.
“After that confession, they just left me dumb-founded in the street. And before I returned home, I asked my sister to pick up my daughter from my neighbor.
“There was a snowball effect after that day. I lost my two remaining jobs. I lost my apartment. My sister was kind enough to accept me and my daughter. But I couldn’t get back up. I was too depressed, too broke.
“I felt used. And what hurts the most was that I loved someone with my whole heart but she never really loved me. I also don’t believe that she truly loved the child.
“There was also a time when I couldn’t look at my daughter. Because whenever I saw her, all I could see was the betrayal of my ex. I even considered giving her up to foster care because she wasn’t biologically mine.
“But whenever I looked into her eyes, I felt a connection between us as father and daughter. And when I looked into her eyes, and then she would smile, I felt like I was her only world, that I was the only one she trusted and the only one she could count on.
“So, I picked myself back up and looked for new opportunities. I lived with my sister for a while so that someone could look after my daughter. But it wasn’t a happy ending right away. Because I worked such a toxic job, I became reliant on alcohol, smoking and eventually, drugs. That ultimately led me to being kicked out of my sister’s house. And I never held a grudge against her because of that. She did what was right for my child.
“Out in the streets, I met Haru and we formed a brotherly bond right away. It wasn’t long until Haru was found by Mr. Nam. And Haru never forgot to bring me along when he was recruited.
“Ever since I was hired by Mr. Nam, I made sure that my performance was beyond excellent. And when I was given the position I have now, I accepted it immediately and worked hard.
“Eventually, I was able to get my daughter back. I also signed some paperwork, making sure that she was my daughter. And that my ex and her boyfriend cannot take her from me even if they were the biological parents. Mr. Nam was kind enough to help me out with those so I didn’t face any problems after that.”
---*---*---*---
He concluded the story with, “My journey to where I am now may not have the best beginning or greatest hand in life. But I made use of those, learned lessons and made a life for me and my little one.”
I nodded, smiling in awe. Words weren’t enough to express how much I looked up to Hyeorae. Actually, words would never be enough to praise him, to salute him. Compared to my mother, Hyeorae chose to move on and kept moving forward. He could’ve stayed in his place of hatred and gloom. But because he had his daughter, he chose to be a father.
A father to a child that was never his, biologically.
“Miss Ryuk?”
I turned my head upon hearing my surname across the lobby.
As I looked, an old man waved at me. He wore a red Hawaiian shirt, blue sorts, open-toed slippers and a black watch on his right wrist. He was obese and his face was covered with a bit of white mustache.
He smiled as he waved again. “Over here, Miss Ryuk,” he called once more.
I returned to Hyeorae and he nodded. We both stood from the bench and approached the man.
He walked towards us and when we reached each other, he asked right away, “Are you Ryuk Mingyu? Mr. Nam’s secretary?”
“Yes, sir. And you are?” I replied, putting out my professional front.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Ryuk,” he said, lending out his hand. We shook hands as he continued, “My name is Ho Ryunji. I’m the owner of Basapa Hotel.”
I smiled, “It’s an honor to meet you, sir.”
We stopped shaking hands as he said, “I hope I didn’t make you wait that long, Miss Ryuk. I was entertaining a few guests and they were premium ones. You know, premium guests can help boost our visibility.”
“It’s okay, Mr. Ho. I understand that you're only doing what’s best for your business,” I answered.
“Thank you for understanding, Miss Ryuk. Anyways, Mr. Nam informed me beforehand that you’ll be arriving before him. I already prepared a room for you,” he said.
“Thank you, Mr. Ho. Will that also accommodate my companion?” I asked, pointing towards Hyeorae. I explained, “Mr. Nam assigned him to watch over me and I don’t want to leave him wandering around the place.”
Mr. Ho looked to Hyeorae before answering, “Mr. Nam never mentioned him but yes, the room prepared for you is actually for two persons. He can definitely stay there.”
“Perfect.”
Mr. Ho stepped aside and pointed forward, giving way. “Shall we?”